A lighthearted and loving look back at the glory days of the Shady Dell, the historic haven for teenagers in York, PA, and the magnanimous couple that created it, John & Helen Ettline.

CLOSE YOUR EYES. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. OPEN YOUR HEART.

SHADY DEL KNIGHT, ADMINISTRATOR

High School Yearbook Photo

"More than a place, the Shady Dell was and will forever remain a state of mind." - Shady Del Knight

HELLO STRANGER ... IT SEEMS LIKE A MIGHTY LONG TIME!

Friday, November 22, 2013

A Tale of Two Ditties

50 years ago,

in November of 1963,

two records entered the pop chart.

Their trajectories were destined to

collide at a critical juncture on the

timeline of American history.

The first of those records was “Wonderful Summer”

performed by one-hit-wonder artist Robin Ward.

The second was “Louie Louie” by the Kingsmen.

These two recordings formed a musical bridge

that for all intents and purposes led America

from the 1950s into the 1960s.

The wholesome teen ballad "Wonderful Summer"
epitomizes the Fifties and an age of innocence
that was drawing to a close at the end of 1963.
The rough and rowdy "Louie Louie" helped
usher in the tumultuous Sixties.

With its lush string orchestration, overdubbed vocals

and atmospheric sounds of sea birds and crashing waves,

Robin Ward's "Wonderful Summer" is a wistful, evocative

recording that is today classified as a girl group sound.

"Wonderful Summer" began climbing the chart
the first week of November. For those of us who
lived north of the Mason-Dixon, the record
took us back to those warm, carefree days

of summer and strolling the beach with
that special someone.

Mid month, "Wonderful Summer" peaked
on the chart at #14.

One week later our sweet dreams of casual summer

romance were shattered and we awakened to the

cold, harsh reality that our charismatic young president,

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, had been taken from us by an

assassin's bullet. The sense of safety, security and order

that our generation had enjoyed until then was suddenly,

brutally and permanently violated on November 22nd, 1963.

That date, 50 years ago today, marked the end of

innocence and idealism in America and the

beginning of an age of cynicism and

irreverence that persists to this day.

"Wonderful Summer" is forever linked in my memory
to the slaying of the president, the soothing sounds
of terns and tides drowned out by the relentless,
maddening beat of muffled drums
across the Potomac.

Enter "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen, one of the
greatest and best known rock 'n' roll records of
all time. Driving sales and forever cloaking the
recording in legend and lore were the song's
allegedly dirty lyrics. No one was ever able
to prove the obscenity theory because the
vocal track is buried beneath a dense layer
of crashing cymbals, drums, guitars and
organ, rendering most of the words
unintelligible. As a result of the murky
mix, the Pacific Northwest band was
able to deny that its interpretation of
a song originally recorded in the 50s
by R&B singer Richard Berry

was anything but benign.

Teens everywhere wantedneeded something to
believe in. They therefore remained convinced
that "Louie Louie" contained naughty lyrics.
My best friend and I were among the die hard
disciples. We played the record over and over,
listening for clues, brainstorming for hours trying
to break the code, decipher the message and
identify every delightfully filthy word that was
embedded in the song. We played the 45 at
different speeds. We even played it backward
and when we did I was sure I heard someone
utter the words "The walrus was Paul."
"What could that mean?" I wondered.

Play this clip and you’ll discover that the
actual lyrics to "Louie Louie" are as
safe as momma’s milk. (Shucks!)

Historically, the Beatles are credited with shaking up
pop music and in the process jolting grief stricken
Americans out of their depression following the
assassination. As I remember it, "Louie Louie"
provided us with a much needed distraction
even before the Beatles arrived.

In the weeks following the assassination, “Louie Louie”

climbed to #2 and was just starting to fade off the chart
in January when the Beatles dropped the bomb with
“I Want To Hold Your Hand.” That’s why I say
“Louie Louie” deserves to be recognized as the
first major musical stimulus to help our nation
recover from those tragic events in Dallas.

It's hard to believe 50 years have passed since that black Friday, the day President Kennedy was assassinated. Those of us who were children and teenagers on the 22nd of November, 1963, remember the shocking, unthinkable event that took place that day
much the same as 9-11
is remembered today by Generation Y millennials. The world we knew - the world we thought we knew - was changed forever and the future was fraught with uncertainty and apprehension. Today, as we mark this grim anniversary, I have vivid flashbacks of my mother lying on the sofa in front of the television all that weekend crying her heart out.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a brilliant leader.
Intelligent, quick witted and able to inspire millions
around the world with his vision, his youthful
vigor, confident manner and winning smile,
John Kennedy was the greatest president
I have known in my lifetime. 50 years

34 comments:

My Kindle won't let me play the selections so I'll do that when I get home. 1963 was a changing year for me in so many ways. Early that year my Dad's company went on strike. My parents tried to act calm about the financial worries..but we knew the score. After a few weeks Dad was back working and we were OK...then he had a heart attack...but he did good and again we took a deep breath. Then both my Grandfathers died...But life went on. Then November arrived. Our home burned down...Then JFK was killed...As a 10 yr old I truly was traumatized in '63. My family loved the Kennedy legend. My Aunt worked on his campaign in the Chicago area. I think it was the realization that we would never be safe..that bad things happen to good people. Today as we look back and remember, I have to wonder if Pres. Kennedy would be idolized or ripped apart by the media. The times truly have been a changin'

Just the other day you explained on your own blog how difficult the month of November has been in your family's history. Thank you for taking time to flesh out the details here today.

You were 10 on November 22, 1963 and I had just turned 14 two days earlier. Like you I felt jolted, overwhelmed and apprehensive about what could happen next. I joined a nation in shock, disbelief and mourning. Until that day, a presidential assassination was something you read about in a history book. We assumed (never assume), that sufficient security measures had been put in place in the modern era to protect the president and other public officials from harm. Young, handsome and athletic looking, John F. Kennedy seemed invincible. When I heard early reports of the shooting, I assumed that perhaps he had been grazed by a bullet or at worst shot in the arm. It never dawned on me that he actually could have been killed. Minute by minute the news grew worse until the very worst was confirmed by the news media.

Song lyrics come to mind, the words to "Life In A Northern Town" by Dream Academy:

He said, "In winter 1963It felt like the world would freezeWith John F. Kennedy and the Beatles"

To me, all the WORLD shut down 50 years ago today, ushering in the darkest, coldest, most depressing holiday season I can remember.

Your stories about November traumas and tragedies got me thinking about some other song lyrics, the words to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Read them and consider how they might serve as a metaphor for what happened to John Fitzgerald on that November day and the inherent dangers faced by those who seek the office of President and those who occupy the White House:

That good ship and true was a bone to be chewedWhen the gales of November came early

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale soundWhen the wave broke over the railingAnd every man knew, as the captain did too'Twas the witch of November come stealin'

And the iron boats go as the mariners all knowWith the gales of November remembered

Our nation weathered that storm in November 1963 but it changed us forever.

Thanks again for being here and for sharing your memories with us, dear friend YaYa! Have a safe and happy weekend!

One of my aunts loved the Kingsmen, and I remember her playing so many of their songs, Louie Louie included. A fitting selection on this somber day, my friend, to remind us that no matter how dark times are, there are still better days ahead. Loved your other picks, too! I hope your week is terrific!

Thank you, Shelly! It's a curious phenomenon. After plunging down into a prolonged period of shock, depression and grief, the emotional roller coaster millions of us were on suddenly rocketed upward, lifting us out of despair, occupying our minds and helping is to move past the Dallas tragedy and heal. That's exactly what happened when the Kingsmen captured the imagination of young people in December 1963 followed by the Beatles in January 1964. The Kingsmen lifted us out of the doldrums with "Louie Louie" and the Beatles rocked America with a one-two knockout punch - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" followed by "She Loves You."

Thank you very much for your visit and comment, dear Shelly. Enjoy your weekend.

Hi there Shady. Unfortunately, I have never heard of The Kingsmen, and, to be honest, I have never liked that song either! (Oh, what a spoilsport I am today!). I did smile though, at you and your friends playing the record over and over, trying to find the 'dirty' words!! This is a sad and sombre day indeed for your countrymen. Such an awful shock that echoed throughout the world. I will never forget the sight of Jackie Kennedy in her shocking pink suit climbing along the back of the car. My thoughts go out to you all. Have a good weekend over there in deepest Florida dear Shadykins. Smooches.

Hallo, dear Thisisme, and thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on this sad day. 15 minutes ago, we passed the exact moment the shots rang out in Dallas 50 years ago, changing the world.

I have been reading about the assassination and there seem to be varying explanations as to why Jackie climbed onto the back of the presidential limousine in the moments after the shooting. One explanation suggests she was instinctively trying to escape the bloodbath taking place in the car's interior for fear of becoming the next shooting victim. Another states that she was retrieving part of her husband's skull. A third explanation states that she was trying to summon the Secret Service agents riding in the car behind them. Whatever the case, the Zapruder film is permanently etched in our minds frame by frame and I wish with all my heart that I could run it in reverse and magically prevent the slaying of the president. Leaders of JFK's caliber are rare and we could not afford to lose him.

Thank you again for your visit, dear Thisisme, as your American friends observe a very dark day in our history.

I was watching a programme on it this evening. I knew that President Kennedy suffered from chronic back pain , and , apparently, the reason he remained upright after he had been shot, was because of the back brace that he was wearing. Take care dear Tom.

That's an interesting fact, Thisisme, and one that I hadn't heard disclosed in conjunction with the shooting. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

I just finished watching MSNBC's streaming video of the NBC news coverage of the assassination "as it happened." I am accustomed to seeing the CBS/Walter Cronkite coverage but I never before watched the NBC news team's minute by minute account. Correspondents Chet Huntley, Frank McGee and Bill Ryan struggled with the primitive television news gathering capabilities of the era in an effort to get the facts straight and break the news to a stunned nation. It was riveting. My mother always watched NBC news (The Huntley-Brinkley Report) and therefore it's safe to say I just watched the same program she did on 11-22-63. I couldn't believe I had to go to basketball practice in the gym as scheduled that day after school, and when I finally arrived home by bus that evening I found my mother sobbing hysterically in front of the TV, She kept weeping all weekend, barely able to function. Mom later sealed in air tight plastic sleeves a Life Magazine, a Look Magazine and a couple of newspapers bearing the bold assassination headlines. She went up to the attic of our house and lowered the plastic sleeve and contents by rope down the inside of a wall to the foundation. I imagine that "time capsule" of hers is still there to this day!

Thank you again, dear friend Thisisme, for realizing how important and significant this day is for millions of Americans who loved President John F. Kennedy.

Good Afternoon Shady. I've been home today and watched the JFK 50 memorial in Dallas. What a time that was! I was also saddened, and, I felt sorry for Dallas. I lived in Kansas City then, and poor Dallas sure took a beating from this tragedy, as did all of our country. You have done a wonderful tribute here today to JFK and a couple of great artists!

'Wonderful Summer' was a great song, and very popular among the young lovers everywhere.But, I honestly don't remember Robin Ward doing anything else.

As for the Kingsmen...they didn't have to do anything else, lol! What an explosive song, to be all songs perhaps! Yes, we had all kinds of lyrics for that one didn't we? I mean, there were contests to see who could make up the best lyrics to Louie, Louie-"yes that's it...no no, those words aren't them!" Anyway, I won't recite my take on what the words were! I did listen to your take of it....hmmm, does anyone beg to differ? Just kidding. No matter what the lyrics, a lot of us will always love that song.

It's a cold and rainy day in Fort Worth today, a good day to stay home-I did have the day off. We are actually lingering in the 40+° today, only to buzz up into the 60's tomorrow!

This is a very nice post Shady, with good photos, and even better remembrances of 1963's November. Have a good evening ~sDs~

Hello, ~sDs~! Well, if it was around 40 degrees in Fort Worth today then it was a good day for you to stay home, drink a cup of hot chocolate and maybe hop in bed and pull the covers over your head. That's how I've been feeling all day even though we're having near record heat in the mid 80s!

Thank you for joining me as I observe the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination. My memories of that terrible day are still fresh and vivid and I am still hurt, angry, bitter - you name it! We was robbed!

I saw a report on our local news this morning suggesting that Kennedy might have come close to being assassinated four days earlier when his motorcade drove through downtown Tampa. The news report said there had been rumors that an attempt was being contemplated by local enemies of Kennedy's policies. As Martin Luther King said after the assassination, (paraphrasing here) "If a hundred Secret Service agents can't prevent what happened today, then we all need to be ready to go at any time." I always felt sorry for the fine citizens of Dallas who welcomed and cheered the president only to have their city go down in history as the site of such a horrible event.

Robin Ward was a one-hit-wonder. The B side of "Wonderful Summer" is another dreamy girl pop sound entitled "Dream Boy." You can listen to it on YouTube.

I'm glad you like the Kingsmen and "Louie Louie." Some of my fondest memories are of sitting by the fireplace in my basement game room in the winter of 1964 listening to the first Kingsmen album. As for the "Louie Louie" lyrics, keep in mind that I only heard someone say "The walrus was Paul" when we played the record BACKWARD. :)

Thank you again for coming over and helping me mark this sad occasion, November 22, 1963, "a date that will live in infamy."

Very interesting thoughts on how music influences a nation's psyche. Like you, I can still feel the emotion of that day 50 years ago. I think many of us who have memories of that day remember it as a very personal loss in addition to being such a national tragedy. And "Louie, Louie....I don't think I went to a single party in college where that song wasn't played and where there wasn't speculation about the lyrics.

Hi, dear Jeanie! Thank you for coming by to testify on this important and tragic date in our nation's history. I am amazed how raw the emotion is all these years later.

Did you watch the TV movie Killing Kennedy starring Rob Lowe? I did and think it was nicely produced, although no docudrama could ever back the sheer horror of that day.

I'm glad you appreciate the way "Wonderful Summer" contrasts with "Louie Louie," each song representing its own era as our country transitioned from innocence and dreamlike tranquility to cynicism, skepticism and turmoil after 1963.

It means the world to me that you contributed to the dialogue today, my dear friend. Take care, Jeanie, and I'll be connecting with you again soon!

Hi, Bruce! I assume you're referring to "Glass Onion," the Beatles song which actually includes those lyrics. As you know, "Glass Onion" and other songs on the White Album were thought to contain cryptic messages from the band to the fans, some of them wide open to interpretation.

I hope you liked this Kingsmen track and will look into more of their music. They were one of the few American bands able to produce hit singles and albums at the height of Beatlemania and the British Invasion that followed.

"Wonderful Summer" was a very pretty song but, you mean to tell me, "Louie Louie" didn't get it's start from the movie Animal House? LOL!

I can read in your words how sentimental today is for you. It is a sad day, indeed! So hard to believe it's been 50 yrs. It's always interesting to read/hear people's answer to the age old question, "where were you when. . ." The only thing I remember on that date 50 yrs ago was my mother ironing while watching TV (probably a soap opera) when the "special report" came on. Since I was only 3 at the time, I really didn't understand the devastation but I could tell something huge had happened by watching my mom's reaction (and crying). I've always been so intrigued by anything " Kennedy". I am fascinated by film footage and books concerning, what I consider, the closest thing we have to U.S. Royalty.

Hi, Toni! Thank you for adding your thoughts and memories to the discussion.

Who could ever forget Bluto, Pinto, Flounder and the other Deltas getting blitzed and singing along to "Louie Louie"? It was one of the many great scenes in Animal House, one of my favorite movies.

Yessum, the two phrases of the day are "where were you when..." and "what if..." If your mother was watching a soap opera when she heard about the assassination, then she was watching As The World Turns on CBS. At 1:40 pm Eastern time, ten minutes into the program, Walter Cronkite broke in with the first bulletin. It's interesting to note that NBC and ABC were not broadcasting at that time of day, the time period filled by local affiliates' programming.

There was never a First Family like the Kennedys and there hasn't been since. They continue to fascinate. In an interview one week after the assassination, Jackie Kennedy remembered the recording Jack loved to listen to at bedtime, reciting: "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot" She added, "There'll never be another Camelot again..."

Thank you very much for another exemplary comment, dear friend Toni. Have a safe and happy weekend and join us Friday for Kathleen's next IDM chapter!

The day President Kennedy was killed I was listening to my transistor radio while I did housework. The news came over that and I was so shocked! I turned on t.v. right away and watched every minute of the reports for a lot of days. It was the only assassination of a president in my lifetime. I was very sad for a long time because I really liked President Kennedy and thought killing him was a very hateful thing to do. I think the world has too much hate in it. People should love each other more. That's what I try to do. We have to overlook people's faults and love them anyway.

Hi, Margaret! I can picture you doing housework and listening to the transistor radio when you received the terrible news that President Kennedy had been slain. Your reaction was the same as mine, my mother's and millions of other Americans who loved John Kennedy and felt they knew him thanks to the miracle of television, a medium that he used expertly. Mercifully, his was the only assassination you or I have endured so far. Let's hope the madness that drives people to commit these evil deeds will someday, somehow be replaced with peace, love and understanding.

Thank you for sharing your memories of that black Friday 50 years ago and for dispensing valuable advice about loving thy neighbor regardless of their flaws or their religious or political beliefs.

Please take good care of yourself, dear friend Margaret, and keep in mind that your daughter and I will be presenting the next enthralling chapter of your true life story, In-Dellible Memories, this coming Friday!

On that terrible day, I was looking through a microscope on the window counter in my advanced biology class at Central York High School. (As I recall, I was counting fruit fly eggs for an experiment for my senior research project on innate behavior.)

As I looked up from my microscope to take some notes, I looked out the window to the front steps of the school to see a police officer lowering the flag on the flagpole to half mast. As I wondered what had happened, the principal broadcast the news of John Kennedy's assassination over the PA system.

I remember our teacher, Mr. Bell, turning a kind of ashen color as he told all of us to abandon our experiments and go to our seats, where we just sat, stunned and uncharacteristically silent, for the rest of the class. Lots of kids were quietly crying, even the football players! I joined them and I think school was cancelled for the rest of the day.

When I got home, the t.v. was on non-stop throughout the crisis and I remember my father, a staunch Republican born in Maryland, saying no one had the right to kill a president, no matter how much they disagreed with him.

I remember hearing comments from people when JFK was elected, about being unsettled by having a Catholic president, but it didn't seem to be an issue after he took office.

I admired John Fitzgerald Kennedy for his quick wit and sense of humor that he displayed during his unscripted news conferences and most of all for his recognition of the arts and music being so essential for our lives. He had an appreciation of their importance without being a snob and used his office to promote and encourage aesthetics in our country.

My mother and I were real teary-eyed messes for the rest of the week and had a tough time going back to normal. I still get choked up looking at the flashbacks. I think many Americans have a sort of PTSD reaction when the assassination is remembered.

However, in one of our books called Four Days, the historian Bruce Catton writes, "What John Kennedy left us was most of all an attitude. To put it in the simplest terms, he looked ahead." I think as we commemorate his tragic death, we all need to remember his youthful outlook and proceed into the future with his Boston-accented "vigah" that he always exemplified. Our country, and we as individuals, need that intelligent and forward-thinking approach that makes nations great and assures the future of mankind.

Hi, dear Kathleen! Thanks for joining the discussion and answering the questions "Where were you and what were you doing..."

Good for your father! In a time of national crisis, be it the 9-11 terror attacks or a presidential assassination, all Americans need to come together and stand united. The 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination only comes around once. This week, people of all religious beliefs and political persuasions have an opportunity to come forward, reflect and remember a fallen president. I am very well aware that a few of the people who left comments on this post are on the opposite side of the political aisle and/or of a different faith than Kennedy. I want to state right here and now that those people showed a lot of class by coming here and paying their respects regardless. There's an old saying, "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all." I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. My credo is this: "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, you aren't trying hard enough. FIND something nice to say!" It's the only way we're ever going to get over ourselves and heal the wounds we have inflicted on each other for so long.

With that in mind I hope that you and all the readers took the full ride and listened at the end of the post to Tom Clay's epic mash-up of "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and "Abraham, Martin and John." Anyone who can watch and listen to that video the whole way through w/o shedding tears either wasn't there or doesn't care.

I agree with you and with Bruce Catton that America needs energetic, enthusiastic, forward thinking men and women, not only in the White House, but in congress, state and local politics and trickling all the way down to every individual old and young. The answer isn't always "no." There's power in "yes" - working together as a nation and finding a way to solve our problems. John F. Kennedy had the perfect temperament to be president. He knew how to use television to project his youth and vigor onto us. He summoned us to duty as citizens. He set the bar high. He expected something of us and made us want to accept the challenge. It's called leadership and John F. Kennedy was the last great leader this country had.

MacArthur's Park is melting in the darkAll the sweet, green icing flowing downSomeone left the cake out in the rain

I don't think that I can take it'Cause it took so long to bake itAnd I'll never have that recipe again

Thank you very much, dear friend Kathleen, for reading my Tale of Two Ditties and for sharing your memories with us. I hope you, Bob, Lis and Mother Margaret all have a splendid Thanksgiving!

Shady my friend, I had never heard of Robin Ward but of course the Kingsmen have the very priceless version of Louie Louie. I was only 3 (or Bouncin Barbie as you say) so I don't remember that day and I'm probably one of the lucky ones. Watching the news footage of that horrible assassination is gutwrenching. Those were such easy times compared to now and to have the memories shattered by such hatred is so so sad. This was a wonderful post nevertheless!

Hi, Barb. Thank you very much for coming over to talk. You and Toni Deroche were lucky to be three years of age when this dastardly deed took place in Dallas. Those of us who were older share a curse. The painful memories of that day are burned into our brains and haunt us every year at this time. I found the 50th anniversary of the assassination the most emotion charged of any previous observances. It all came rushing back, the shock, the disbelief, the anger, the resentment - emotions I didn't want to have to experience again. The word you used, "shattered," is very appropriate because the hopes and dreams of Americans, especially the younger generation who idolized Jack Kennedy, were shattered that day.

In Greek mythology, Icarus took flight on wings made of feathers and wax. He felt free and dared to soar high - so high that he ventured too close to the sun. The heat melted his waxen wings and he fell into the sea and drowned. That's how many of us felt when the young president who represented us so well, was cut down in the prime of his life. In a single, awful moment, we went from soaring to sinking.

I have so many memories of President Kennedy. I remember when he was running for President and my mom and dad would argue because my mom was a Democrat and my dad a Republican. They cancelled out each other's vote every election. I remember kids at my school campaigning for Nixon because they were afraid of a Catholic being President.

I remember the words, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." When he set up the Peace Corps I, a self-centered teenager, wanted to join up as soon as I was done with high school.

I remember reading about the Kennedy family in Look and Life magazines. I grew to love them so much. My mom and dad would laugh at the sharp wit of Kennedy when reporters would ask him questions. We loved watching the presidential news conferences, which he was famous for.

That terrible day he died, I was at school, like so many others. Like your mom, I also cried all weekend and on into the week. My heart was broken that this good man had been killed. His death, along with the Viet Nam War, changed my world.Thanks for honoring President Kennedy with your blog today. God bless.

Thank you ever so much, dear Belle! I find it interesting that your mom was a Democrat and your dad a Republican. Kathleen told us that her father was also a dyed in the wool Republican and hinted that her mother, Margaret, was in the liberal camp. I can add that my mother was a liberal Democrat all her life and my father, although never admitting which way he was going to vote, was definitely the more conservative of the two.

As you pointed out, John F. Kennedy inspired and motivated people with his words, especially young people. He made us believe that one person could make a difference or even change the world. One of my favorite quotes of his was delivered during an address at American University in Washington, D.C. a few months before his death: "Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal." God knows, if we could all remember those words and stop posturing, bickering and finger-pointing, we just might make democracy work. It's not "us" versus "them." It's just "us."

I'm sure you remember Vaughan Meader, the comedian who impersonated President Kennedy so artfully on the Grammy Award winning 1962 comedy album The First Family. The record grew out of America's fascination with and love for with the Kennedys and JFK's own sense of humor which was revealed whenever he engaged in Q&A with the White House Press Corps.

Intelligent, witty, energetic, visionary - John F. Kennedy had it all - and then he was gone, leaving us to ponder "if only." If only Kennedy would have decided not to go to Dallas... If only the parade route had been changed... if only the rain had not stopped, forcing the bubble top to be placed over the limo... If only the rifle had jammed or Oswald's aim wasn't so deadly accurate... If only...if only...if only...

Thank you again for coming over and giving me a hug, dear friend Belle. I appreciate your friendship and support more than I can express.

Please take good care of yourself and I hope to see you again soon. Kathleen's chapter is up next and I hope you will enjoy it!

I just came to know that even in Italy there are celebrations for Kennedy, it surprised me a lot to be honest!I didn't expect it. thanks for you message and for thinkin' about me on Thanksgiving :)have a nice weekciao!

Hi, Katia! I am pleased to learn that there are/were observances for President Kennedy in your country. I watched special programs on TV all last week and finished viewing the final one yesterday, the anniversary of his funeral.

I will be thinking about you on Thanksgiving, dear friend. Thank you for coming, Katia. I hope you and your husband have a nice week as well!

Hello Tom! It's been a while! I've been taking blogging slowly recently, clearing my head and all that. I'm glad to feel inspired again and catch up with everything and everyone! I hope you are well friend!

Hi, dear Emma! I noticed that you've been gone a while. I think you're still coming down off that Parisian high! :) Anyway, welcome back to SDM&M! A friendly hello counts for a lot in my book and I appreciate your visit and comment. When I celebrate Thanksgiving this week, your friendship is one of the things I will be thankful for.

I've been kinda busy this week, but I wanted to stop by again and weigh in on the songs and video on this post.

The smooth, mellow sound and sweet melody of "Wonderful Summer" takes me back to the summer camp in the Poconos where I worked as arts and crafts director for several years to help pay for college. I remember a few short-lived romances with other counselors and staff that ended in August when we closed up camp and went our separate ways. It was a time of intense emotions and reckless youth, but a necessary part of moving into adulthood for me.

As for "Louie, Louie" - I can appreciate the song much better now than when trying to study in my dorm with it blaring over and over and over again from another room down the hall! I used to think it was the only song those girls knew!

The video was moving and so evocative of that era. Although I felt sad watching it and felt the pain of that tragic time all over again, I was glad to hear that the child didn't know what terms such as "prejudice" meant. If only those words could become obsolete!

Isn't it interesting how "Wonderful Summer" was released, it seems, a couple of months later than it should have been - in November? By that time songs of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season were started up the chart. I'm pleased to know that Robin Ward's girl pop ditty takes you back to summer camp in the Poconos. I visited the Poconos a number of times but never in the summertime. A memory I have that is similar to yours was of late summer 1965 when I attended a church camp in the country and experienced summer romance. The song linked to that memory is "Save Your Heart For Me" by Gary Lewis which was hot in July, August and September of that year.

I always thought of "Louie Louie" as a guy song. It's interesting that some of the girls in your dorm took a liking to the rough and rowdy rock anthem.

The 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy only comes around once and now has passed. For those of us who belong to the Baby Boom generation and are old enough to remember that day and how deeply affected we were by the loss of our young president, this was the biggest and last anniversary many of us will live to see. It's good to know that recordings like disc jockey Tom Clay's "What The World Needs Now Is Love"/"Abraham, Martin and John" will outlive us and convey to future generations the depth of our feeling and our sense of loss.

Thank you very much, Kathleen, for another thoughtful comment. I can't wait to see your next chapter post this Friday.

Luckily, there were no coon hounds nipping at my heels leading up to that photograph. My father, an avid photographer, was constantly looking for creative ways to pose people. One of his favorite techniques was putting vertical space between camera and subject. When I was eleven he climbed a long ladder and took a picture of me from above the backboard of my basketball goal. I was down below holding a basketball, my face framed perfectly by the rim and net. The picture used in this post was taken a few years later on one of our many hikes in the country, this time with subject elevated and photographer down below.

Thank you again, dear Kathleen, for thrice lending your support to this important post as we paused to remember, not one great man, but four.

Didn't you love the things that they stood for?Didn't they try to find some good for you and me?And we'll be freeSome day soon, and it's a-gonna be one day

Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?Can you tell me where he's gone?I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill, With Abraham, Martin and John.

I always love reading your posts! (: They give me such insight on the time period and what was going on. I enjoy reading your stories so much! Always very interesting. I hope you have a great rest of the week and a lovely Thanksgiving! (:

Hi, dear Molly! This is a pleasant surprise and I'm very happy to see you, my good friend. Thank you for what you wrote here. It means a lot to me knowing that you enjoy reading my posts and learning what life was like when I was your age. It was a different world then, but the great news is that young people like you are bringing the past into the present and experiencing it fresh and new just like I did. That is a bond you and I proudly share. Friendships like ours that cross over generations are what make blogging great.

I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving, Molly. Thanks to your visit today, my Thanksgiving was made even more joyful than it would have been. You're the best!

The Rodentia Intelligentsia

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"You had to be there!"

“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).

THE SHADY DELL

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History

What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.

At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.

The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.

Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.

SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight

I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.

To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?

'JACKS'

AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!

THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA

STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!

Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell

Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.

As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?

At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?

"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."

We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.

As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!

I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill

My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!

“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.

Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!

Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.

Of Rats and Men

Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.

Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!

A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!

I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!

Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.

One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?

In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.

Helen & John Ettline

Shady Dell Owners

Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop

Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.

Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.

Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.

The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!

Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.

Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.

Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.

THE FIVE KEYS

"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1

Del-Chords & Magnificent Men

Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.

Magnificent Men

HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!

The Emperors of Harrisburg

Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.

THE EMPERORS

DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!

End of an Era

Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.

My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.

After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.

That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.

John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.

(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)

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Spread the word...

THE RAT PACK IS BACK!

A-ha! I knew it! There's fine print!

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